The highest good is like water.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching 8
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Lao Tzu
6th century BC. Keeper of the archives at the Zhou court, by tradition the author of the Tao Te Ching: eighty-one short chapters on water, softness and knowing when to stop.
On a shirt
Beating others takes force. Beating yourself takes strength.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching 33
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Let muddy water sit still and it clears.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching 15
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Every line we've sourced
The highest good is like water.
"上善若水。"
Tao Te Ching 8, our translation from the Greek
Water helps everything and fights nothing.
"水善利萬物而不爭"
Tao Te Ching 8, our translation from the Greek
In motion, what counts is timing.
"動善時"
Tao Te Ching 8, our translation from the Greek
Better to stop than to fill it to overflowing.
"持而盈之，不如其已"
Tao Te Ching 9, our translation from the Greek
Do the work, then step back. That's the way of heaven.
"功遂身退，天之道。"
Tao Te Ching 9, our translation from the Greek
A hall full of gold and jade can't be guarded.
"金玉滿堂，莫之能守"
Tao Te Ching 9, our translation from the Greek
Thirty spokes, one hub. The empty center makes it roll.
"三十輻共一轂，當其無，有車之用。"
Tao Te Ching 11, our translation from the Greek
Let muddy water sit still and it clears.
"孰能濁以靜之徐清？"
Tao Te Ching 15, our translation from the Greek
Empty all the way. Hold steady in stillness.
"致虛極，守靜篤。"
Tao Te Ching 16, our translation from the Greek
Look plain. Hold the uncarved block. Want little.
"見素抱樸，少私寡欲。"
Tao Te Ching 19, our translation from the Greek
Bend and stay whole. Hollow out and get filled.
"曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈"
Tao Te Ching 22, our translation from the Greek
Have little and gain. Have much and get lost.
"少則得，多則惑。"
Tao Te Ching 22, our translation from the Greek
Don't fight, and no one in the world can fight you.
"夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。"
Tao Te Ching 22, our translation from the Greek
A whirlwind doesn't last the morning. A downpour doesn't last the day.
"故飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。"
Tao Te Ching 23, our translation from the Greek
Stand on tiptoe and you won't stand. Overstride and you won't go.
"企者不立，跨者不行"
Tao Te Ching 24, our translation from the Greek
Good walkers leave no tracks.
"善行無轍迹"
Tao Te Ching 27, our translation from the Greek
Return to the uncarved block.
"常德乃足，復歸於樸。"
Tao Te Ching 28, our translation from the Greek
Force it and you ruin it. Grip it and you lose it.
"為者敗之，執者失之。"
Tao Te Ching 29, our translation from the Greek
Knowing others is smart. Knowing yourself is clear.
"知人者智，自知者明。"
Tao Te Ching 33, our translation from the Greek
Beating others takes force. Beating yourself takes strength.
"勝人者有力，自勝者強。"
Tao Te Ching 33, our translation from the Greek
Whoever knows enough is rich.
"知足者富。"
Tao Te Ching 33, our translation from the Greek
Whoever pushes on has real will.
"強行者有志。"
Tao Te Ching 33, our translation from the Greek
Soft and weak beat hard and strong.
"柔弱勝剛強。"
Tao Te Ching 36, our translation from the Greek
A fish shouldn't leave the deep.
"魚不可脫於淵"
Tao Te Ching 36, our translation from the Greek
The biggest vessels take longest to finish.
"大器晚成"
Tao Te Ching 41, our translation from the Greek
The softest thing in the world rides down the hardest.
"天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅。"
Tao Te Ching 43, our translation from the Greek
Know when to stop and you're never in danger.
"知足不辱，知止不殆，可以長久。"
Tao Te Ching 44, our translation from the Greek
Love too much, pay too much. Hoard much, lose much.
"是故甚愛必大費，多藏必厚亡"
Tao Te Ching 44, our translation from the Greek
Great skill looks clumsy.
"大巧若拙"
Tao Te Ching 45, our translation from the Greek
No disaster is worse than never having enough.
"禍莫大於不知足"
Tao Te Ching 46, our translation from the Greek
The farther you go, the less you know.
"其出彌遠，其知彌少。"
Tao Te Ching 47, our translation from the Greek
Learning adds every day. The Way subtracts every day.
"為學日益，為道日損。"
Tao Te Ching 48, our translation from the Greek
Holding to softness is strength.
"守柔曰強。"
Tao Te Ching 52, our translation from the Greek
Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know.
"知者不言，言者不知。"
Tao Te Ching 56, our translation from the Greek
Good luck leans on bad. Bad luck hides in good.
"禍兮福之所倚，福兮禍之所伏。"
Tao Te Ching 58, our translation from the Greek
Sharp without cutting. Bright without glare.
"廉而不劌 ... 光而不燿。"
Tao Te Ching 58, our translation from the Greek
Run a big country like you cook a small fish.
"治大國，若烹小鮮。"
Tao Te Ching 60, our translation from the Greek
Tackle the hard while it's easy, the big while it's small.
"圖難於其易，為大於其細"
Tao Te Ching 63, our translation from the Greek
Easy promises earn little trust.
"夫輕諾必寡信"
Tao Te Ching 63, our translation from the Greek
The tree you can't wrap your arms around grew from a sprout.
"合抱之木，生於毫末"
Tao Te Ching 64, our translation from the Greek
A thousand-mile trip starts beneath your feet.
"千里之行，始於足下。"
Tao Te Ching 64, our translation from the Greek
Finish as carefully as you started. Then nothing fails.
"慎終如始，則無敗事。"
Tao Te Ching 64, our translation from the Greek
Most people fail when they're almost done.
"民之從事，常於幾成而敗之。"
Tao Te Ching 64, our translation from the Greek
The sea rules every valley by staying below them.
"江海所以能為百谷王者，以其善下之"
Tao Te Ching 66, our translation from the Greek
Kindness makes you brave.
"慈故能勇"
Tao Te Ching 67, our translation from the Greek
Three treasures: kindness, thrift, and not rushing to be first.
"一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。"
Tao Te Ching 67, our translation from the Greek
The best fighter never gets angry.
"善戰者不怒"
Tao Te Ching 68, our translation from the Greek
Rather give a foot than push an inch.
"不敢進寸而退尺"
Tao Te Ching 69, our translation from the Greek
No disaster is worse than taking your opponent lightly.
"禍莫大於輕敵"
Tao Te Ching 69, our translation from the Greek
Rough cloth outside, jade inside.
"是以聖人被褐懷玉。"
Tao Te Ching 70, our translation from the Greek
Knowing you don't know is best.
"知不知上"
Tao Te Ching 71, our translation from the Greek
Heaven's net is wide and loose, yet nothing slips through.
"天網恢恢，疏而不失。"
Tao Te Ching 73, our translation from the Greek
Alive, we're soft and supple. Dead, we're hard and stiff.
"人之生也柔弱，其死也堅強。"
Tao Te Ching 76, our translation from the Greek
The rigid tree gets the axe.
"木強則兵"
Tao Te Ching 76, our translation from the Greek
Nothing is softer than water, and nothing beats it against the hard.
"天下莫柔弱於水，而攻堅強者，莫之能勝"
Tao Te Ching 78, our translation from the Greek
Everyone knows soft beats hard. No one lives it.
"弱之勝強，柔之勝剛，天下莫不知莫能行。"
Tao Te Ching 78, our translation from the Greek
True words aren't pretty. Pretty words aren't true.
"信言不美，美言不信。"
Tao Te Ching 81, our translation from the Greek
Give to others and you have more.
"既以與人己愈多"
Tao Te Ching 81, our translation from the Greek
Put yourself last and you end up first.
"是以聖人後其身而身先"
Tao Te Ching 7, our translation from the Greek
Hard and easy complete each other.
"難易相成"
Tao Te Ching 2, our translation from the Greek